Cook Islands (2008) | Pakistan (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | none | 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 34.1% (male 2,718/female 2,388)
15-64 years: 59.5% (male 4,531/female 4,395) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 489/female 469) (2001 census) (2001 census) |
0-14 years: 39.9% (male 30,321,217; female 28,581,334)
15-64 years: 56% (male 42,254,996; female 40,392,092) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 2,984,391; female 3,129,399) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee; pigs, poultry | cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs |
Airports | 9 (2007) | 120 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 87
over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 32 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 19 (2002) |
Area | total: 236.7 sq km
land: 236.7 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km |
Area - comparative | 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than twice the size of California |
Background | Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965, residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems. | The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. |
Birth rate | 21 births/1,000 population NA (2001 census) | 30.4 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $70.95 million
expenditures: $69.05 million (FY05/06) |
revenues: $8.9 billion
expenditures: $11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | name: Avarua
geographic coordinates: 21 12 S, 159 46 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Islamabad |
Climate | tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March | mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north |
Coastline | 120 km | 1,046 km |
Constitution | 4 August 1965 | 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cook Islands former: Harvey Islands |
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan |
Currency | - | Pakistani rupee (PKR) |
Death rate | NA | 9.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $141 million (1996 est.) | $31.5 billion (2001 est.) |
Dependency status | self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense, in consultation with the Cook Islands | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) | chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy J. POWELL
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200 telephone: [92] (51) 2080-0000 FAX: [92] (51) 2276427 consulate(s): Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) | chief of mission: Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir QAZI
chancery: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6205 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0484 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, and Sunnyvale (California) |
Disputes - international | none | armed stand-off with India over the status and sovereignty of Kashmir continues; dispute with India over the terminus of Rann of Kutch prevents extension of a maritime boundary; water-sharing problems with India persist over the Indus River (Wular Barrage); close ties with Pashtuns in Afghanistan make long border difficult to control |
Economic aid - recipient | $13.1 million; note - New Zealand continues to furnish the greater part (1995) | $2 billion (FY99/00) |
Economy - overview | Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing about one-third of the working population, provides the economic base with major exports made up of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are the Cook Islands' leading export. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including the sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management, the encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement, have rekindled investment and growth. | Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, suffers from internal political disputes, lack of foreign investment, and a costly confrontation with neighboring India. Pakistan's economic prospects, marred by poor human development indicators, low levels of foreign investment, and reliance on international creditors for hard currency inflows, were nonetheless on an upswing through most of 2001. The MUSHARRAF government made significant inroads in macroeconomic reform - it completed an IMF short-term loan program for the first time and improved its standing with international creditors by increasing revenue collection and restraining the fiscal deficit in the 2001/02 budget. While Pakistan has capitalized on its international standing after the 11 September terrorist attacks on the US by garnering substantial assistance from abroad - including $1.3 billion in IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility aid and $12.5 billion in Paris Club debt rescheduling - long-term prospects remain uncertain. GDP growth will continue to hinge on crop performance; dependence on foreign oil leaves the import bill vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices; and foreign and domestic investors remain wary of committing to projects in Pakistan. Pakistani trade levels - already in decline due to the global economic downturn - worsened in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.9 million kWh (2005 est.) | 58.299 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 30 million kWh (2005) | 62.687 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 64%
hydro: 35% nuclear: 1% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Te Manga 652 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban |
Ethnic groups | Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 87.7%, part Cook Island Maori 5.8%, other 6.5% (2001 census) | Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants) |
Exchange rates | NZ dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003) | Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 60.719 (January 2002), 61.927 (2001), 53.648 (2000), 49.118 (1999), 44.943 (1998), 40.918 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Frederick GOODWIN (since 9 February 2001); New Zealand High Commissioner Brian DONNELLY (since 21 February 2008), representative of New Zealand
head of government: Prime Minister Jim MARURAI (since 14 December 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Terepai MAOATE (since 9 August 2005) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively responsible to Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the UK representative is appointed by the monarch; the New Zealand high commissioner is appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes prime minister |
note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; exercising the powers of the head of the government, he appointed an eight-member National Security Council to function as Pakistan's supreme governing body; on 12 May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was extended by five more years
chief of state: President Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001) note - MUSHARRAF is both chief of state and head of government head of government: Chief Executive Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 12 May 2000) note - MUSHARRAF is both chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief executive elections: legislative election last held 10 October 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prior to the military takeover, Pakistan had an elected president and prime minister; the president was elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 31 December 1997; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition was usually elected prime minister by the National Assembly election results: results are for the 10 October 2002 election for prime minister - Mir Zafarullah Khan JAMALI elected prime minister (not a position of real power) |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | $8.8 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Exports - commodities | copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing | textiles (garments, cotton cloth, and yarn), rice, other agricultural products |
Exports - partners | Australia 34%, Japan 27%, NZ 25%, US 8% (2006) | US 24.8%, UK 6.5%, UAE 6.2%, Hong Kong 5.9%, Germany 5.6%, (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag | green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $299 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15.1%
industry: 9.6% services: 75.3% (2004) |
agriculture: 26%
industry: 24% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.1% (2005 est.) | 3.3% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 14 S, 159 46 W | 30 00 N, 70 00 E |
Geography - note | the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km | controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent |
Heliports | - | 13 (2002) |
Highways | - | total: 247,811 km
paved: 141,252 km (including 339 km of expressways) unpaved: 106,559 km (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 28% (1997) (1997) |
Illicit drugs | - | opium poppy cultivation practically eliminated; key transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western markets; Afghan narcotics continue to transit Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Balochistan Province, and Karachi; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems |
Imports | 429.3 bbl/day (2004) | $9.2 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, capital goods | machinery, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals, transportation equipment, edible oils, grains, pulses, flour |
Imports - partners | NZ 61%, Fiji 19%, US 9%, Australia 6%, Japan 2% (2006) | Kuwait 11.7%, UAE 10.7%, Saudi Arabia 10.5%, US 6%, Japan 5.6% (2000) |
Independence | none (became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action) | 14 August 1947 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1% (2002) | 7% (2001 est.) |
Industries | fruit processing, tourism, fishing, clothing, handicrafts | textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
78.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (2005 est.) | 4% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, ADB, FAO, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IOC, ITUC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO | AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C (suspended), CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 30 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 180,000 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | High Court | Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court |
Labor force | 6,820 (2001) | 40.4 million
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 29%
industry: 15% services: 56% (1995) |
agriculture 44%, industry 17%, services 39% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 6,774 km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km |
Land use | arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 8.33% other: 75% (2005) |
arable land: 27.81%
permanent crops: 0.79% other: 71.4% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official), Maori | Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8% |
Legal system | based on New Zealand law and English common law | based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consisting of a Legislative Assembly (or lower house) (25 seats, 24 seats representing districts of the Cook Islands, 1 seat representing Cook Islanders living overseas; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a House of Ariki (or upper house) made up of traditional leaders
note: the House of Ariki advises on traditional matters and maintains considerable influence but has no legislative powers elections: last held 26 September 2006 (next to be held by 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Demo 51.9%, CIP 45.5%, independent 2.7%; seats by party - Demo 15, CIP 8, independent 1 |
bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members up for election every two years) and the National Assembly (342 seats - formerly 217; 10 seats represent minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 March 1997 (next to be held by October 2002); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007) election results: Senate results are for the last election prior to the military takeover; - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANP 7, MQM 6, JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/H 1, PKMAP 1, TJP 1, independents 6, vacant 5; National Assembly results are for the 10 October 2002 election - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP 71, PML/Q 69, MMA 53, PML/N 14, MQM 13, MP 12, PML/F 4, PML/J 2, PPP/SB 2, female elected members 60, independents 21, minorities 10, others 11 note: Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dismissed Parliament 15 October 1999 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 61.82 years
male: 60.96 years female: 62.73 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 95% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.7% male: 55.3% female: 29% (1998) |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north |
Map references | Oceania | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 112,129 GRT/126,160 DWT
by type: cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 11 (Norway 1, NZ 1, Sweden 9) (2007) |
total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 241,832 GRT/367,093 DWT
ships by type: cargo 13, container 3, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces; National Police Department (2007) | Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $2,545.5 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 4.6% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 36,941,592 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 22,606,576 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 17 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 1,657,724 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Constitution Day, first Monday in August (1965) | Republic Day, 23 March (1956) |
Nationality | noun: Cook Islander(s)
adjective: Cook Islander |
noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani |
Natural hazards | typhoons (November to March) | frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) |
Natural resources | NEGL | land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone |
Net migration rate | - | -0.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
People - note | 2001 census counted a resident population of 15,017 | - |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas 4,044 km (1987) |
Political parties and leaders | Cook Islands Party or CIP [Henry PUNA]; Democratic Party or Demo [Dr. Terepai MAOATE] | Awami National Party or ANP [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr. HAYEE Baluch]; Baluch National Party or BNP [Sardar Akhtar MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [Akbar Khan BUGTI]; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or JUP/NI [Abdul Sattar Khan NIAZI]; Millat Party or MP [Farooq LEGHARI]; Milli Yakjheti Council or MYC is an umbrella organization which includes Jamaat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED], Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ], Tehrik-I-Jafria Pakistan or TJP [Allama Sajid NAQVI], and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction or JUP/NO [Shah Ahmad NOORANI]; Mutahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan or MMA [NA leader]; National People's Party or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed AFZAL Khan]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Democratic Party or PDP [Nawabadzada KHAN]; Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Junejo faction or PML/J [Hamid Nasir CHATTHA]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Muslim League, Quaid-l-Azam faction or PML/Q [Mian AZHAR]; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB [Ghinva BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential |
Population | 21,750 (July 2007 est.) | 147,663,429 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 35% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | -1.2% between 1996-2001 (2001 census) | 2.06% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 27, FM 1, shortwave 21 (1998) |
Radios | - | 13.5 million (1997) |
Railways | - | total: 8,163 km
broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2001) |
Religions | Cook Islands Christian Church 55.9%, Roman Catholic 16.8%, Seventh-Day Adventists 7.9%, Church of Latter Day Saints 3.8%, other Protestant 5.8%, other 4.2%, unspecified 2.6%, none 3% (2001 census) | Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3% |
Sex ratio | 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 census) | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | NA years of age; universal (adult) | 21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims |
Telephone system | general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex
domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6,200 (2002) | 2.861 million (March 1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,500 (2002) | 158,000 (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (outer islands receive satellite broadcasts) (2004) | 22 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south | flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west |
Total fertility rate | 3.1 children born/woman (2001 census) | 4.25 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 13.1% (2005) | 6.3% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |